L-KO Motion Picture Company

L-KO Motion Picture Company

Company type	Private
Industry	Silent film production
Founded	1914
Founder	Henry Lehrman
Defunct	1919
Fate	Studio closed due to Spanish flu epidemic
Headquarters	United States , United States
Area served	United States
Key people	Henry Lehrman, Julius Stern, Abe Stern, John G. Blystone
Products	One- and two-reel comedic silent films
Owner	Universal Pictures (distribution)
Parent	Universal Pictures

The L-KO Motion Picture Company, also known as L-KO Kompany, was a U.S.-based silent film studio that produced primarily one- and two-reel comedic shorts from 1914 until 1919, with distribution handled by Universal Pictures. Established by Henry Lehrman, the company’s name is derived from "Lehrman—Knock Out".

History

In early 1914, Henry "Pathé" Lehrman, a prominent figure responsible for early Keystone Cops films and Charlie Chaplin’s first screen appearance, departed from Keystone after being hired by producer Fred J. Balshofer. Lehrman teamed up with actor Ford Sterling to create Sterling Comedies under Universal’s banner; however, after Lehrman’s dismissal, he founded L-KO as an independent division within Universal.

The company’s first leading performer was English comedian Billie Ritchie, who had gained recognition on stage prior to Chaplin’s rise. Ritchie starred in L-KO’s inaugural release, Love and Surgery (October 1914). The studio also helped launch careers of performers such as Gertrude Selby, Fatty Voss (a comedic contemporary of Roscoe "Fatty" Arbuckle), and Louise Orth. Several artists from Mack Sennett’s studio—including Hank Mann, Alice Howell, Harry Gribbon, and Mack Swain—eventually joined L-KO. Actor Henry Bergman appeared in L-KO productions before transitioning to work with Chaplin.

Lehrman prioritized a cost-effective yet intense slapstick approach, which earned him a reputation for hazardous filmmaking; stunt performers sometimes avoided involvement due to safety risks. Directors like John G. Blystone, Harry Edwards, and David Kirkland increased the company's film output, though Lehrman seldom acknowledged their contributions publicly.

Following a disagreement with Universal executives, Lehrman exited L-KO in late 1916 to head Fox’s Sunshine Comedies. Control then shifted to Julius and Abe Stern—relatives of Universal founder Carl Laemmle—who appointed Blystone as director-in-chief. Blystone later moved on to Fox as well, but L-KO remained a platform for developing new comedic talent. Noteworthy additions included director Charley Chase in 1918, comedian Raymond Griffith who debuted in 1915, and actress Eva Novak joining in 1917. Fatty Voss directed one two-reel film shortly before his death in 1917, having spent his entire career at L-KO.

The studio ceased operations not due to financial troubles but because of a Spanish flu epidemic that compelled Universal to close the facility in May 1919. Its last film released was An Oriental Romeo (September 24, 1919), featuring Chinese comedian Chai Hong.

Legacy

Although L-KO did not produce a star on the scale of Charlie Chaplin, it effectively rivaled Keystone and outlived it by one year following Mack Sennett's departure from Triangle Film Corporation in 1917. Producing approximately 300 films over five years, L-KO remains relatively obscure within Silent Comedy history; only about ten percent of its productions have survived. Lehrman’s inclination toward violent visual gags combined with Ritchie’s confrontational comedic style resulted in some of the most daring and intense works in American silent-era comedy.

Confirmed extant and lost films

Title	Release Date	Director	Star	Notes
Love and Surgery	October 25, 1914	Henry Lehrman	Billie Ritchie	Survives
Partners in Crime	November 1, 1914	Henry Lehrman	Billie Ritchie	Survives
The Rural Demons	December 13, 1914	Henry Lehrman	Billie Ritchie	Survives
The Baron's Bear Escape	December 20, 1914		Henry Bergman	Survives
Cupid in a Hospital	January 6, 1915	Henry Lehrman	Billie Ritchie	Survives
Almost a Scandal	February 17, 1915	Henry Lehrman	Billie Ritchie
Poor Policy	April 25, 1915	Harry Edwards	Billie Ritchie
Love and Sour Notes	May 19, 1915	John G. Blystone	Billie Ritchie
The Child Needs a Mother	July 7, 1915	John G. Blystone	Fatty Voss
Vendetta in a Hospital	September 8, 1915		Billie Ritchie
Silk Hose and High Pressure	September 8, 1915	Henry Lehrman	Billie Ritchie
No Flirting Allowed	September 19, 1915		Hank Mann
A Tale of Twenty Stories	August 22, 1915	Vin Moore	Hank Mann	fragment only
Sin on the Sabbath	December 8, 1915		Billie Ritchie
A Stool Pigeon's Revenge	May 12, 1916	John G. Blystone	Hank Mann
Gertie's Gasoline Glide	May 17, 1916		Gertrude Selby
Billie's Waterloo	June 7, 1916		Billie Ritchie
Cold Hearts and Hot Flames	September 20, 1916	John G. Blystone	Billie Ritchie
Live Wires and Love Sparks	March 19, 1916	Henry Lehrman	Billie Ritchie
Bombs and Bandits	1917	Vin Moore	Billy Bevan
The Sign of the Cucumber	1917	Richard Smith	Eva Novak
Soapsuds and Sirens	1917	Noel M. Smith	Harry Lorraine
The Belles of Liberty	1917	James D. Davis	Eva Novak
All Jazzed Up	1917	William Watson	Eva Novak
Adventurous Ambrose	April 17, 1918	Walter S. Fredericks	Mack Swain
The King of the Kitchen	December 4, 1918	Frank Griffin	Harry Gribbon
Charlie, the Little Daredevil	January 15, 1919	Alfred J. Goulding	Chai Hong
The Freckled Fish	January 22, 1919	Joseph Le Brandt	Chai Hong	fragment only

See also

• Henry Lehrman

References

• Simon Louvish, Keystone: The Life and Clowns of Mack Sennett, Faber & Faber, New York, 2003.

External links

• L-KO on IMDB
• Museum of Modern Art (MOMA), Cruel and Unusual Comedy Blog
• Images Journal: Slapstick Encyclopedia Volume 4
• Cinecon presentation: The Sign of the Cucumber
• Slapsticon profile: Billie Ritchie